Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva and the Ten Kings of Hell

CHINA; Southern Song dynasty

Ksitigarbha Bodhisattva, who vowed to liberate every being in hell, is shown at the top of this painting, holding a staff and standing on clouds. The Ten Kings of Hell and their retinues, also standing on clouds, are shown in the middle register. On the right, a figure in a cangue is pulled forward by a hell guardian. At the bottom of the image, a messenger holding a banner leads a group of beings to hell. Though the details in the image have faded, the colors are still bright. The layout of the image, with the figures separated into distinct groups in three registers, differs from most other portrayals of Ksitigarbha and the Ten Kings of Hell.